The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring a slag foaming level and, particularly, to a method and an apparatus for continuously measuring the slag foaming level within a converter during a blowing operation.
Slag foaming within the converter is caused during the blowing step of a steel making operation by CO bubbles accompanied by gas generation due to the specific blowing condition and/or slag contents. The slag foaming adversely affects the converter operation by causing sharp variations in the slag level and by causing occasionally sloppings.
Therefore, quantitative determination and control of slag foaming has been long desired. If continuous and quantitative determination of the slag foaming level during converter blowing is made possible, it will be possible to prevent the sloppings during the blowing operation by regulating the blowing condition in relation to the quantitatively measured slag foaming condition thereby improving the control of the entire converter operation.
The slag foaming condition in the converter has been determined heretofore by by visual observation of this condition at a time when the converter was tilted or by occasional measurements of the change in electric resistance using a sub-lance probe. However, it is impossible to continuously and quantitatively determine the slag foaming condition by these methods.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple method for continuously and quantitatively measuring the slag foaming level during converter blowing operation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for practising this method.